Letter to Auckland Councillors & Mayor

Permission to pollute one of Auckland’s
critical underground water resources?


His Worship, The Mayor of Auckland
Mr Len Brown
Auckland Council
Private Bag 92300
Auckland Central 1142

Wednesday 2 March, 2011

Dear Mr Brown,

I am writing to you because I have recently become aware of a major issue for Auckland. I am at a loss to understand how Three Kings Quarry owner, Winstone Aggregates, was granted consent by the Auckland Regional Council a year and a half ago to fill the Mt Eden Road quarry, unlined and without a leachate collection system, with waste material that is permitted to contain elevated levels of contaminants including arsenic, copper, zinc, DDT and hydrocarbons.

This and other related resource consent decisions have been appealed to the Environment Court. I understand this appeal is set down for a two week hearing beginning Monday 7th March.

Have you considered Auckland Council’s position in regard to this matter?

The Mt Eden Road quarry – also known as Three Kings Quarry – is above, and drains into, a large fresh water aquifer from which water is already drawn by some (including Auckland Zoo), and which is a back-up drinking water source for Auckland in the event of a natural disaster, such as the one we have just seen in Christchurch.

It is unclear to me after the recent re-structuring of Auckland local government, exactly whose responsibility it is to defend the public interest in Auckland’s underground water resources.

The proposed Mt Eden Road quarry landfill project may result in Auckland’s aquifers becoming too contaminated over time to be used as a much-needed water source. Why should Auckland take that risk when industry best practice options exist to avoid it? If a natural disaster hit in Auckland – volcano or earthquake – good civil defence planning would be reliant upon Auckland’s underground water resources to meet the need for drinking water. Surely Auckland Council would not support any activities which might degrade the quality of Auckland’s underground water resources.

I note that Watercare’s 2010 Statement of Corporate Intent contains the following objective: “To provide leadership within the water industry and participate in public policy initiatives and statutory submissions.”

My reading of Watercare’s involvement in this central city landfill project suggests it is not opposed to it, and thereby tacitly endorses the establishment and operation of a contaminated landfill which everybody agrees will drain into Auckland’s freshwater aquifer system, without any guarantees – or collection and treatment systems in place – to prevent contaminants leaching into Auckland’s underground water resources. This is despite the leachate collection and treatment duties that have been imposed on Watercare in regard to its proposed Puketutu landfill project. I have written to Watercare’s CEO and Board Directors about its “leadership” on this matter.

I have analysed information associated with this application and believe the ARC’s decision to permit this activity was not well informed, primarily because the focus was on immediate effects to local groundwater, rather than on the more fundamental matter of cumulative effects over time on Auckland’s potable freshwater aquifers.

The rationale for granting this landfill permit is like permitting a dairy farm discharge into a river, because by themselves the adverse effects are deemed “less than minor”, when it is plain for all to see that the river is nearly dead because of all the other farm discharges in its catchment.

There were many opposed submissions to this “consent to pollute” process including a wide range of community interests whose concerns have not been addressed. Concerns include the critical water issues outlined and relating to you, but also include noise, up to 750 trucks (many of them articulated) per day carrying fill to the quarry, dust, noise and traffic management issues.

Responsibility to protect Auckland’s resources clearly lies with Auckland Council. I consider that Auckland’s fundamental interests in protecting underground water resources from contamination have not been well served in the handling of consents for this new central Auckland landfill. I believe the new amalgamated Auckland Council has an obligation to the people of Auckland to reconsider this matter and to participate fully in the coming Environment Court hearing.

It is your duty to ensure that whatever happens in the Mt Eden Road quarry does not subject Auckland’s underground water resources to any risk of contamination. I have also raised this issue with Watercare.

I seek your personal re-assurance on this.


Yours sincerely,


Joel Cayford

NB: This letter will be copied by email and post to Auckland City Councillors.

Letter to Watercare Board and CEO

Permission to pollute one of Auckland’s
critical underground water resources?


Mark Ford
Chief Executive
Watercare
2 Nuffield Street
Newmarket
Auckland 1023


Wednesday 2 March, 2011


Dear Mark,

I am writing to you because Watercare is responsible for providing Auckland with safe drinking water and I have recently become aware of a major issue for Auckland water supply. I am at a loss to understand how Three Kings Quarry owner, Winstone Aggregates, has been granted consent to fill the Mt Eden Road quarry, unlined and without a leachate system, with waste material that is permitted to contain elevated levels of contaminants including arsenic, copper, zinc, DDT and hydrocarbons.

This site is above, and drains into, a large fresh water aquifer from which water is already drawn by some (including Auckland Zoo), and which is a back-up drinking water source for Auckland in the event of a natural disaster, such as the one we have just seen in Christchurch.

Watercare is committed to ensuring the drinking water that Auckland households, businesses and schools receive is high quality and consistently complies with the requirements of the New Zealand Drinking Water Standards. And rightly so.

I note in your 2010 Statement of Corporate Intent the following objective which has been agreed by your stakeholders: “To provide leadership within the water industry and participate in public policy initiatives and statutory submissions.”

From my reading of your involvement in this central city landfill project, you are not opposed to it. You are tacitly endorsing the establishment and operation of a contaminated landfill which everybody agrees will drain into Auckland’s freshwater aquifer system, without any systems in place to prevent contaminants leaching into Auckland’s underground water resources. This is no less than permission to pollute one of Auckland’s critical back-up water supplies.

You will be acutely aware of the leachate collection and treatment duties that have been imposed on Watercare in regard to its proposed Puketutu landfill project. I find it hard to believe that the same sort of regulation isn’t being applied to the Three Kings Quarry. Where’s the consistancy? Watercare claims to be committed to “provide leadership” on Auckland’s water issues, yet there appears to be a lack of interest in protecting this important aquifer.

The proposed Mt Eden Road quarry landfill project may result in Auckland’s aquifers becoming too contaminated to be used as a much-needed water source. Why should Auckland take that risk when industry best practice options exist to avoid it? If a natural disaster hit in Auckland – volcano or earthquake – civil defence and indeed the people of Auckland would be heavily reliant upon Auckland’s underground water resources to meet the need for drinking water. As it stands, this landfill could seriously undermine Auckland’s ability to respond to a crisis.

There were many opposed submissions to this “consent to pollute” process including a wide range of community interests whose concerns have not been addressed. Concerns include the critical water issues outlined and relating to you, but also include noise, up to 750 trucks (many of them articulated) per day carrying fill to the quarry, dust, noise and traffic management issues.

As a key stakeholder in Auckland’s water industry, I believe you have a leadership obligation to the people of Auckland to participate fully in next week’s Environment Court hearing, to ensure that whatever happens in the Mt Eden Road quarry is best practice, and that it does not subject Auckland’s underground water resources to any risk of contamination.

It is disappointing that more vocal leadership on this critical regional resource has not been forthcoming. I have also raised this issue with the Mayor and Auckland Councillors.

Please respond to this issue immediately and publicly reassure Aucklanders that this important asset will not be contaminated.


Yours sincerely,



Joel Cayford

Please note: This letter is to be copied by post to Watercare Board members.

Puketutu Landfill Proposal against Public Interest

I sent this letter to NZ Herald last week, knowing that Watercare had publicly notified its consent application to discharge sewage biosolids into Puketutu, on the Monday after the General Election. Sure - this complies with the letter of the law - but the public now have just a few days before Christmas to lodge an appeal....

"...The public interest is poorly served when expediency and cost minimisation drive major public infrastructure decisions.

In newspaper notices published the Monday after an exciting election, Watercare notified its intention to dump sewage sludge from the Mangere Wastewater Treatment Plant onto Puketutu Island in Manukau Harbour. Submissions will close a few days before Christmas.

Modern cities around the world keep trade waste chemicals out of sewage pipes, and apply treated sewage back to land where the nutrients can be reused. Landfilling of biosolids is mostly not permitted.

There’s a whiff of wishful thinking in Watercare’s claim that its proposed Puketutu Sewage Landfill is a land rehabilitation project that will eventually become a park promised to Auckland Regional Council. Auckland’s City Councils own Watercare and presumably supported this proposal at a confidential meeting.

But it’s actually a cheap dump that will belch methane for decades, just as Watercare’s sewage landfills do today on the edge of the Manukau.

We would not allow a private operator to do this. Auckland's public services can do better...."

Again, this letter was not published.